Our heritage science research projects involve collaborative working with researchers across multiple disciplines.
Enhancing the readability of archival documents
Enhancing the readability of archival documents through scientific techniques is a dynamic and evolving field of research. By using advanced methods, we can reveal text and images that were previously obscured or faded. This improves our ability to read and interpret historical documents without causing damage.
These techniques can make illegible writing legible, visualize the content of sealed letters, and probe the insides of books and rolls that cannot be physically opened. By minimizing the need for direct handling, these innovations help preserve the integrity of delicate documents.
Our ongoing research continues to refine and expand these innovative methods. This work is crucial for preserving the materiality within our collection, whilst at the same time ensuring its contents are accessible and comprehensive for future generations.
Relevant published materials:
- Advanced Microspatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy for Noninvasive Imaging of Concealed Texts and Figures Using Raman Signal, Fluorescence Emission, and Overall Spectral Intensity
- Advanced imaging to recover illegible text in historic documents: The challenge of past chemical treatments for ink enhancement
UV-induced visible luminescence imaging used to enhance the readability of illegible music sheets on parchment.
Hazards and poisonous materials
The National Archives’ collection includes materials that can pose a risk to access and safe handling. These include toxic pigments and hazards used in past conservation interventions, such as the application of pesticides. By researching and understanding these risks, we can develop safer handling protocols and conservation techniques.
Our ongoing research focuses on both identifying and mitigating these hazards. Future research projects will explore innovative methods for detecting and neutralising harmful substances. This area of study is vital for preserving the integrity and accessibility of our archival collections as well as ensuring that conservators, researchers and the public can interact with these documents safely.
By prioritizing safety in our conservation efforts, we protect not only the documents themselves but also the health and well-being of those who study and preserve them. This commitment to safety ensures that valuable historical collections can be accessed and enjoyed by future generations without compromising their preservation.
You can read more on the types of hazards that can be found in archival collections here:
- The use of ‘poisonous insecticidal solutions’ in bookbinding: coping with historic pesticide treatments in the archive
- Identification, transformations and mobility of hazardous arsenic-based pigments on 19th century bookbindings in accessible library collections
A collection of labels indicating insecticide in bindings.
Understanding history through materiality
Through scientific research and analysis of the materials and techniques used in the creation of objects within our collection, we can uncover valuable information about the cultural, technological, and economic contexts of different historical periods. Using advanced techniques, such as spectroscopy, microscopy, and chemical analysis, we are able to precisely identify materials including pigments, inks, paper, and textiles. This knowledge helps historians understand the origins, trade routes, and technological advancements of past societies.
Material analysis can additionally reveal details about previous conservation methods, which offers insights for current and future preservation efforts. Moreover, understanding the material composition and degradation processes aids the development of informed and innovative conservation strategies, ensuring the longevity of these objects.
Through these scientific investigations, we help preserve historical objects as well as enriching our understanding of the narratives they embody. Our interdisciplinary approach bridges the gap between science and history, allowing us to explore the material culture of the past with unprecedented depth and accuracy.
Find out more in our blogs and published materials:
- The pannotype mystery: Part 1 – historic photographic processes in Design Registers
- The pannotype mystery: Part 2 – identifying rare historic photographic processes
- Beautifully wrapped in silk: Medieval seal bags unravelled
- Medieval Seal Bags Unravelled
- Minimally Invasive Vacuum-Aided Extraction Technique for the Lipid Analysis of Historic Parchment
Material characterisation through scientific analysis.